A systematic literature review of evidence for the use of assistive exoskeletons in defence and security use cases.

Advances in assistive exoskeleton technology, and a boom in related scientific literature, prompted a need to review the potential use of exoskeletons in defence and security. A systematic review examined the evidence for successful augmentation of human performance in activities deemed most relevant to military tasks. Categories of activities were determined through literature scoping and Human Factors workshops with military stakeholders.

Development of physical employment standards of specialist paramedic roles in the National Ambulance Resilience Unit (Naru).

Aim: To develop evidence-based role-specific physical employment standards and tests for National Ambulance Resilience Unit (NARU) specialist paramedics.

Methods: Sixty-two (53 men, 9 women) paramedics performed an array of (1) realistic reconstructions of critical job-tasks (criterion job performance); (2) simplified, easily-replicable simulations of those reconstructions and; (3) fitness tests that are portable and/or practicable to administer with limited resources or specialist equipment. Pearson's correlations and ordinary least products regression were used to assess relationships between tasks and tests.

A job task analysis to describe the physical demands of specialist paramedic roles in the National Ambulance Resilience Unit (NARU).

Background: The National Ambulance Resilience Unit (NARU) works on behalf of each National Health Service (NHS) Ambulance Trust in England to strengthen national resilience and improve patient outcome in challenging pre-hospital scenarios.

Objective: To conduct a Job Task Analysis and describe the physical demands of NARU roles.

Methods: A focus group was conducted to describe the physically demanding tasks performed by NARU personnel.

Energy balance and physical demands during an 8-week arduous military training course.

This study assessed soldier's physical demands and energy balance during the Section Commanders' Battles Course (SCBC). Forty male soldiers were monitored during the 8-week tactics phase of the SCBC. Energy expenditure was measured using the doubly labeled water method.

Relationship between the 2.4-km run and multistage shuttle run test performance in military personnel.

In the United Kingdom, all branches of the armed forces use 2.4-km run time and/or the 20-m multistage shuttle run test (MSRT) to assess the aerobic fitness of their personnel. This study quantified the relationship between these two tests in 156 army recruits and officer cadets (100 men and 56 women) to ensure equivalence in the required aerobic fitness standards.

Physiological responses of Police Officers during job simulations wearing chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear personal protective equipment.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to quantify the physiological responses of Police Officers wearing chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear personal protective equipment (CBRN PPE) during firearms house entry (FE) unarmed house entry (UE) and crowd control (CC) simulations. Participants volunteered from the UK Police Force [FE (n = 6, age 33 ± 4 years, body mass 85.3 ± 7.

Comparison of the physical demands of single-sex training for male and female recruits in the British Army.

This study compared the physical demands and progression of basic training for male and female British Army recruits in single-sex platoons. Thirty male and 30 female recruits were monitored for energy expenditure (EE) (doubly labeled water), physical activity (3-dimensional accelerometry) and cardiovascular strain (percent heart rate reserve) during 6 weeks over the 14-week course. First time pass rate was similar for male (60%) and female (57%) recruits.

Health, fitness, and responses to military training of officer cadets in a Gulf Cooperation Council country.

Objective: To quantify the health, fitness, and physiological responses to military training of Officer Cadets from a Gulf Cooperation Council country.

Methods: One hundred and nineteen Officer Cadets volunteered; body composition, core body temperature, aerobic fitness, hydration status (urine osmolality), cardiovascular strain, physical activity (3-dimensional accelerometry), and energy expenditure (doubly labelled water) were measured over 5-days of Basic Training (BT), Army Training (AT), Navy Training (NT), and Air Force Training (AFT).

Results: There were no differences between courses for body mass index (mean all courses: 24.

Injuries and injury risk factors among British army infantry soldiers during predeployment training.

Purpose: This prospective cohort study examined injuries and injury risk factors in 660 British Army infantry soldiers during a predeployment training cycle.

Methods: Soldiers completed a questionnaire concerning physical characteristics, occupational factors, lifestyle characteristics (including physical training time) and previous injury. Direct measurements included height, body mass, sit-ups, push-ups and run time.

Influence of hydration volume and ambient temperature on physiological responses while wearing CBRN protective clothing.

This study examined a low (L; 5 ml/kg per h) and high (H, 10 ml/kg per h) rate of fluid replacement in moderate (18°C) and hot (30°C) conditions on physiological responses while wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). PPE included the gas-tight suit (GTS), the powered respirator protective suit (PRPS) and the civil responder 1 (CR1). Relative to the moderate condition, physiological responses were greater in the hot condition.

Gender differences in the physical demands of British Army recruit training.

This study examined gender differences in the physical demands of British Army recruit training in 3 platoons with different gender compositions. Subjects wore heart rate monitors to measure cardiovascular strain and accelerometers to measure physical activity during weeks 1, 6, and 9 of the 12-week program. There was no difference in physical activity between platoons or genders (p > 0.

Development of an operational fitness test for the Royal Air Force.

Since 2002, the Royal Air Force (RAF) has been working towards developing role-related physical tests for use as an operational fitness test (OFT). The purpose of this study was to establish reliability of the OFT (comprising four tests), investigate gym-based tests as predictors of performance and establish performance standards. Fifty-eight RAF personnel performed the OFT on three occasions.

A physical demands analysis of the 24-week British Army Parachute Regiment recruit training syllabus.

This study assessed the physical demands of the 24-week Combined Infantryman's Course (CIC) for Parachute Regiment (Para) recruits and developed physical selection standards for applicants. Fifty recruits were monitored over five separate periods (35 d in total during weeks 1-2, 5, 9, 15 and 19-20). Energy expenditure (doubly labelled water), physical activity (accelerometry) and cardiovascular strain (% heart rate reserve) were measured.

Risk factors for training injuries among British Army recruits.

This study aimed to identify risk factors for training injuries resulting in referral to a remedial instructor (RI) or medical discharge (MD) among British Army recruits undertaking initial training. Physical performance and anthropometric data for 11,937 male and 1,480 female recruits were examined as potential risk factors for RI referral and MD, using Cox regression. There was a trend showing that female recruits' MD rates were higher than male recruits' rates (p = 0.

The effect of cool water ingestion on gastrointestinal pill temperature.

Unlabelled: Telemetric gastrointestinal (GI) temperature pills are now commonly used to measure core body temperature and could minimize the risk of heat illness while maximizing operational effectiveness in workers subject to high levels of thermal strain.

Purpose: To quantify the effect of repeated cool water ingestion on the accuracy of GI pill temperature.

Methods: Ten operational firefighters ingested a pill to measure GI temperature (T1int) before overnight sleep.

Can simple anthropometric and physical performance tests track training-induced changes in load-carriage ability?

The objective of this research was to determine whether tests of strength, endurance, and anthropometry could be used to assess training-induced changes (delta) in load-carriage performance. Eighty-four British Army recruits completed a 10-week training program. Strength, endurance, body composition, and 3.

Training diagnosis for a load carriage task.

To explore the possibility of training diagnosis for a 3.2-km loaded march with a 25 kg load, 50 men trained for 10 weeks using either running, marching, and endurance-based circuit training (Circuits), or running, marching, and resistance training (Resistance). The march was performed before and after training, and other measurements related to loaded marching were conducted before training only.

Venous obstruction in healthy limbs: a model for chronic compartment syndrome?

Purpose: Chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) in the anterior tibial (AT) compartment is generally believed to be the result of reduced venous blood flow caused by restrictive compartments and increased intramuscular pressures. If this is so, then restricting venous flow in the muscles of healthy subjects during exercise should mimic CECS.

Methods: This hypothesis was tested in 10 control subjects (aged 19-41 yr, five males) with and without external venous occlusion induced by a sphygmomanometer cuff fitted just below the knee and inflated to 80 mm Hg.

Chronic exertional compartment syndrome: muscle changes with isometric exercise.

Unlabelled: Chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) is a well-documented cause of lower leg pain in active individuals. The pathophysiology is unclear, although it is generally believed to be associated with increased intramuscular pressure, but there is very little information about muscle function in relation to the onset of pain.

Purpose: To investigate strength, fatigue, and recovery of the anterior tibial muscles in CECS patients and healthy subjects during an isometric exercise protocol.